Facebook rose as much as 0.7% in trading Wednesday to hit a new record high of $216.30 a share as the social media giant prepares to report its second-quarter earnings after the closing bell.

Analysts polled by Bloomberg expect the social-media giant to report adjusted earnings of $2.01 a share on revenue of $13.33 billion, both above last quarter as well as the same period of 2017.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tesla‘s stock neared an all-time high of $389.61 Tueday after the company announced plans to go private.
The stock was halted for roughly 90 minutes before the news was announced.
CEO Elon Musk bemoaned the pains of being public, like quarterly earnings reports, in a blog post.
Shares originally surged 7% in trading following a tweet from Musk hinting at the plans. After trading resumed, they climbed more than 11%.Follow Tesla’s stock price in real-time here.

Shares of Tesla surged by as much as 12% on Tuesday, nearing a new record high of $389.61, after the company said it will attempt to go private pending a shareholder vote.

Budget phones have gotten really good over the last few years. Meanwhile, the price of flagship devices has stayed about the same, with some phones approaching or passing the $1,000 mark. Is it worth it to pay a premium for a slightly better experience? Senior tech reporter Antonio Villas-Boas breaks down what makes the Moto G6 the best budget phone you can buy. Following is a transcript of the video.

Antonio Villas-Boas: So, I’m a tech reviewer, as you can imagine I have access to a lot of cool gadgets, the latest and best smartphones. So I tend to use those, you know, really high-end smartphones. Whenever a $250 smartphone comes across my desk, like the Moto G6, I’m interested, you know, I want to see how far a less expensive smartphone could take me. I honestly can’t say that I was noticing that this was a $250 smartphone. I was just using my apps, watching my videos, doing my things, just on this $250 smartphone.

Another great thing about this phone is its design. This is a glass back smartphone. That’s something you usually find on the high-end stuff. You know, you’re not gonna get some of the stuff like wireless charging. Honestly, overall it looks like a really nice phone. Fine, you know, it’s got the bezels. Right? It’s got the top and bottom bezels that are kind of large, by today’s standards. That never really bothered me when I was using it.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

By Elena Popina and Lu WangRarely does a day go by in the US stock market without someone decrying its addiction to gains in the FANG bloc of tech megacaps.Now, in the middle of earnings season, their support has gone missing, and the result has been something less than a catastrophe.Not that it was a banner week. The S&P 500 Index ended where it started, and the Nasdaq 100 — home of Facebook Inc., Amazon.com, Netflix Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. — slipped from a record. But with trade tweets popping off all over the place and a currency war brewing, anything short of a rout could be claimed as a victory by the bulls.For the five sessions, the S&P 500 rose less than a point to 2,801.83. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 39 points to 25,058.12. The Nasdaq 100 lost 0.4 per cent to 7,350.23. Indexes of small caps climbed, and the Cboe Volatility Index ended below 15 for a third consecutive week.By far the biggest blowup of the earnings season has come from FANG constituent Netflix, a hit that tech investors never quite got over. With Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon all due to report next week, concern is growing that hopes for group may have finally outstripped what they will realistically be able to deliver.“Expectations have been set so high and valuations are so rich, no wonder people are worried,” said Chad Morganlander, portfolio manager at Washington Crossing Advisors. “Tech megacaps are doing fine, but the positive story is all priced in. There is concern about peak earnings, there is concern about what the trade war will do to the index of high-growth, high-multiple companies.”65078579

Netflix plunged the most in two years after its subscriber growth fell short. Alphabet slipped after Google received a record $5 billion fine in Europe. All told, the bloc retreated 2.1 per cent. The gap to the S&P 500’s performance was the widest since the week of March 30, when Facebook’s data breach scandal left the FANGs reeling and the broader index intact.Despite that, most investors were willing to see the glass as half full and celebrate a market where measures of breadth are improving and no single company seems capable of spoiling the party. While they slipped over the five days, both the Nasdaq 100 and and an equal-weight version of the index, one that strips out market-capitalization biases and gives the same influence to Apple Inc. as Ulta Beauty Inc., touched all time highs.65078587

Obviously, FANG weakness may prove nothing more than a breather after they rallied at three times the pace of the broader tech index this year. Going long the group has been the market’s most-crowded trade for the sixth months, according to a survey of fund managers by Bank of America Corp.“The FANG group of stocks can still drive the entire market higher, but nobody said it would be a straight line,” said Walter Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management. “Even some of the strongest companies out there need to take a pause. That doesn’t mean that their rally doesn’t have more room to go.”The group’s revenue is expected to increase an average 36 per cent in the second quarter, 4 times the growth rate of the S&P 500, data compiled by Bloomberg show. An index tracking Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet is up 42 per cent this year, compared with a 4.8 per cent gain in the S&P.65078592

But the seemingly invincible rally has pushed the stocks to some of their highest valuations on record. At roughly 9 times sales, they’ve never been so expensive heading into any reporting season since Facebook’s initial public offering in 2012.Twelve of the 71 tech firms in the S&P have released results, with each reporting earnings that exceeded expectations. The 35 per cent profit growth tech companies have posted on average so far is the fourth-highest in the S&P after energy, materials and consumer-discretionary stocks. Every tech firm but two came in with better-than-expected top-line growth.But that has done little to impress investors, at least so far. Tech stocks have dropped 2.7 per cent on average the day after reporting, the most among main S&P sectors.Concern about the high-growth, high-multiple industry are widespread. Chris Senyek, chief investment strategist at Wolfe Research, urged investors to exit Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet amid concern the rally has made valuations overstretched.“The risk-reward in high-momentum stocks is highly skewed to the downside,” Senyek wrote in a note this week. “If a trade war unfolds, we’d expect another drawdown in the market with the highest P/E momentum names materially underperforming.”

Pop star Ariana Grande is rarely seen without her signature ponytail.
She started wearing her long hair up in a high ponytail back in 2014.
At first Grande said it was the only style that worked with her damaged hair.
But now Grande says she just loves the look and doesn’t feel the need to change.

From 2010 to 2013, Grande played Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s series “Victorious.” The character had red hair, which meant Grande was dyeing her hair frequently. In 2014, Grande began wearing the high ponytail as her music career was taking off.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Software performance in production is hard to analyze. Things can go wrong at any time, and code can start executing in ways that weren’t planned for. In these cases, what do we do? In this article, Toptal engineer Juan Pablo Scida analyzes a real scenario of high CPU usage of a web application. He covers all the processes and .NET code analysis involved to identify the problem, explains how the problem was solved, and most importantly, explores why this problem happened in the first place.

When you’re shopping for a car, it’s easy to get caught up in a shiny new paint job and beautiful roaring engine. If you find a way to swing a deal and get a price you want, it should be a done deal, right?

Not necessarily. When it comes to figuring out what type of car you can afford, there’s a lot more to consider than the purchase price. You also need to account for insurance, gas mileage, value depreciation, and more. But one of the most often overlooked factors is a car’s maintenance costs.

Before you buy a car, get familiar with this list of the most expensive cars to maintain.

Most Expensive Cars to Maintain

Before you bite off more than you can chew, it’s important to know what you can expect to pay to maintain your car. This is just a small selection of the most expensive cars to keep up.

27. Chevy Camaro

The Camaro is one of the most popular American cars around, so its high maintenance costs of $9,900 for ten years isn’t happy news. But remember that you could lower that cost if you do the maintenance yourself. You just need to find the best place to buy parts for your specific needs, like this specialty shop for 5th generation Camaro parts.

26. Dodge SRT Viper

The high-powered Dodge SRT Viper should be one of the least surprising entries on this list. Yes, it costs $11,200 to maintain for ten years. With a V10 engine, 640 horsepower, and a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, though, the maintenance costs shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

25. Volkswagen Passat

There’s no denying that Volkswagen has received some bad press over the past few years. But before we knew that running a Volkswagen wasn’t doing the environment any favors, we knew that it wasn’t great for a driver’s wallet either. For ten years of maintenance on a Volkswagen Passat, you can expect to pay $11,600.

24. Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

You can expect to get some looks while you’re cruising around town in a Mercedes-Benz. Unfortunately, you’ll get a lot of looks from your auto mechanics as well, because you’ll be handing them around $11,800 for maintenance and repairs in the first ten years.

23. Ford Mustang

If you’re looking for an American muscle car, the Ford Mustang is an undeniable classic. The look is all its own, and depending on the model you choose, the performance is a head-turner. Unfortunately, the ten-year maintenance cost of $11,900 is sure to make your head spin as well. While Ford is known for having a high average maintenance cost, the Mustang is above-average even for them.

22. Chrysler 300

For the mid-range luxury market, the Chrysler 300 gives you some serious bang for your buck as far as the purchase price is concerned. Unfortunately, the costs don’t end there, though, and you can expect to pay around $12,000 to maintain it for ten years. That’s especially shocking when you compare it to the next entry on our list, which has the same maintenance cost.

21. Porsche Cayenne

If you want a luxury SUV, you won’t do much better than a Porsche Cayenne. The eye-catching design and luxurious feel can justify the high price tag for many drivers. Just be aware that you’ll also be on the hook for about $12,000 of maintenance costs over ten years of ownership as well.

20. Nissan Maxima

Generally speaking, Nissan has a rather low cost of ownership. But there are exceptions to every rule, and the Maxima is the exception to this one. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly car, the $12,000 ten-year maintenance cost of the Maxima may rule out this choice.

19. Acura TL

As any fan of luxury cars knows, the high purchase price often comes with higher maintenance costs as well. This is certainly the case for the Acura TL, which will cost you $12,100 for ten years of car maintenance.

18. BMW M5

BMW has a reputation for expensive maintenance and repair costs, so this entry on the list should come as no surprise. While the M5 has a high price tag, to begin with, the costs don’t go down after your purchase. You can expect to pay around $12,100 to maintain the car for its first ten years.

17. Subaru Forester

Subaru is one of the few major car brands that only have one vehicle on this list, so they deserve a pat on the pack for that. Still, if you happen to own a Forrester, that doesn’t make your $12,200 ten-year maintenance bill any easier to handle.

16. BMW M6

Here we are with another BMW, and the notoriety of high maintenance costs continue. As a slightly higher-end model compared to the M5, the maintenance costs are just a tad higher as well: $12,300 over ten years.

15. Ram 3500

Whether you need hauling capabilities for work or you’re just a fan of pick-up trucks, the Ram 3500 is a popular choice. Its mid-level price is still in the range of affordability. The ten-year maintenance cost of $12,400, though, may make some buyers think twice.

14. Mazda 6

This list contains a surprising number of mid-size sedans, and the Mazda 6 is no exception. While there are a few different models to choose from, a Mazda 6 will set you back an average of $12,700 for ten years of maintenance.

13. Audi A4 Quattro

For those who love the Audi brand, the A4 Quattro seems like an affordable way to get into the game. We say “seems,” though, because this sedan has a higher maintenance cost than most buyers realize. On average, it comes to $12,800 over ten years. That’s even high for Audis, though, which have an overall average maintenance cost of $12,000 for ten years.

12. Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette didn’t need Prince’s help to become one of the most fawned-over American cars. “Little Red Corvette” certainly didn’t hurt, though. This car has one of the most passionate cult followings of any car. The $12,900 price tag for ten years of maintenance hasn’t seemed to scare away many fans.

11. Dodge Ram 1500

It shouldn’t be a surprise to see a high-powered truck on this list. In fact, it’s a bit of a surprise that there aren’t any trucks higher on the list than #11. But for a Ram 1500 owner, we’re sure the ten-year maintenance cost of $13,300 is plenty.

10. Audi S4

It’s a long-held principle in automobiles, real estate, and other high-dollar purchases that the more you pay to buy it, the more it will cost to maintain. Audis are no exception. As a more performant version of the A4, the S4 has maintenance costs that soar to $14,100.

9. Dodge Grand Caravan

The Dodge Grand Caravan could be described as the epitome of minivans. It’s been carting families across the country since the original Caravan was introduced in 1984. The only problem is that on top of soccer equipment, it carries a high maintenance cost. You can expect to pay $14,500 over ten years of ownership. That’s even higher than Dodge’s average, which is already on the higher end for budget-friendly brands.

8. Chevrolet Cobalt

The Cavalier was a staple of the Chevrolet fleet until it was replaced by the Cobalt, which is still a popular choice. The problem, though, is that it’s not as easy on the budget as it initially seems. The cost to maintain a Cobalt over ten years is a whopping $14,500.

7. Mercedes-Benz e350

It shouldn’t be a surprise that we have yet another Mercedes-Benz on this list, as the brand is known for its high ownership cost. Unfortunately, this model has a surprisingly low fuel economy along with a ten-year maintenance cost of $14,700.

6. Nissan Murano

Nissans, in general, have low average maintenance costs, which makes the Murano a surprising #6 on our list. While the sleek crossover look is attractive, beware that you should expect to pay $14,700 to maintain the vehicle for ten years.

5. BMW 328i

Yes, another BMW. By now, it should come as no surprise that BMW has the highest average maintenance cost of all major car brands. The 328i may not be the priciest car to maintain on this list, but the ten-year cost of $15,600 is still a hard pill to swallow.

4. Chrysler Sebring

New Chrysler Sebrings haven’t been produced since 2010, but if you’re in the market for a used one, you’ve been warned. With a ten-year maintenance cost of $17,100, a used Sebring is less affordable than you may think.

3. Mercedes-Benz GLS63 AMG

At #3, we’re officially into the $20,000 range for maintenance costs ($20,100 to be precise). While SUVs are generally more expensive to maintain than sedans and other smaller vehicles, the GLS63 AMG has the highest maintenance costs of any SUV on the market.

2. Porsche 718 Cayman

The 718 Cayman has a beautifully sleek and sporty design that’s sure to turn heads as a twist on the classic Porsche Boxster. But as any car enthusiast knows, Porsches aren’t known for being budget-friendly. With a ten-year maintenance cost of $23,700, the 718 Cayman is no exception.

1. Nissan GT-R

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the fastest-accelerating production cars in the world has a high maintenance cost. With a 0-60 time of just 2.7 seconds, speed demons might happily pay the $24,200 ten-year maintenance cost.

Weighing All Your Auto Costs

Our intention isn’t to scare you away from buying the cars on this list. In fact, many of them are well worth the cost. But let it serve as a reminder to take all the costs into account when deciding what type of car you can afford.

We’ve been seeing significant evolution in the talent acquisition (TA) function for some years now as companies continue to refine how they attract, recruit, select, and onboard talent in a competitive market. But even we were surprised by how strongly the latest Bersin, Deloitte Consulting LLP research on high-impact talent acquisition confirms TA’s advancement since our last study in 2014. We now have data tying TA maturity not only to advancements in how well the TA function fulfills its purpose, but also to business, financial, and workforce outcomes.

Considering the breakneck pace at which work, workforces, and workplaces are evolving, we wanted this latest TA research to explore just how TA is integrated into the culture and context of organizations as they evolve to meet the future of work. By doing so, we were able to uncover insights beyond the functional aspects of mature TA, such as how they source candidates, build relationships with candidates, evaluate candidates, design a hiring process, and the like.

Instead, we were able to not only look at ways mature TA functions become better at talent acquisition, but also how they enhance the entire HR suite and support the broader business. The most effective TA functions are seen by senior executives as essential players in executing business strategy and promoting the company’s people culture. These high-performing TA teams are integrated across the HR suite and the business as a whole, enabling TA to better understand and anticipate the needs of the business while also developing a more integrated relationship with other talent-related functions. In our research, for example, two-thirds of high-performing TA functions report significant integration with talent management, while only 16 percent of their low-performing counterparts can say the same.1

How we measure high performance

Bersin’s Talent Acquisition (TA) Maturity Model enables leaders to assess their organization’s current capabilities and move up in maturity. Each level of the model is characterized by a specific level of achievement across a handful of factors. Our research shows that progression from low to high performance correlates with gains in a range of specific outcomes.

The Talent Acquisition Maturity Model

Source: Bersin, Deloitte Consulting LLP, 2018.

For example, outcomes typically include:

Business Outcomes: High-maturity organizations are:

2x more likely to meet financial targets
2.4x more likely to improve efficiency
2.4 times more likely to innovate
3x more likely to manage change than low-maturity organizations.2

4x more likely to address people topics in a timely manner
6x more likely to engage in data-based decision making
3.4x more likely to develop capable managers than low-maturity organizations.4

As companies look to optimize their Human Capital Balance Sheet to help build human capital as an asset, reduce inefficiency in labor spend, and manage risk, these results demonstrate the value of investment in and attention to talent acquisition within the HR suite. Only 13 percent of the organizations in our research have reached TA Maturity Level 4, so this is an area of great opportunity for many organizations looking to improve.

The full 2018 High-Impact Talent Acquisition survey results are worth a closer look. More than 1,200 HR, TA, and business professionals in organizations of all sizes from around the world participated, and the data represents a cross-section of geographies, industries, and organization sizes. Interestingly, the data did not vary by organization size; achieving TA maturity and the associated outcomes for the business is possible regardless of organization size.

Robin Erickson, PhD, leads talent acquisition, engagement, and retention research for Bersin, Deloitte Consulting LLP. Recognized as a thought leader in her areas of specialization, Robin offers more than 20 years of experience, including prior experience in talent strategies consulting and research for Deloitte’s Human Capital practice.

Many chiropractors looking to make the next move in their career wonder if they can afford to buy a chiropractic practice. Whether the price point of the practice is $500,000, $50,000 or anywhere above or below that mark, most docs don’t have a clue about what they can actually afford.

Of course, you’ve heard the old adage, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.” Perhaps you’ve even debated that when it comes to the decision of whether to buy a chiropractic practice or start your own from scratch.

Unfortunately, in our profession, that advice is tempered by the reality of chiropractic school debt, which often exceeds $150,000. It is understandable, then, that young, responsible, and prudent chiropractic professionals are conflicted over assuming additional debt to move toward goals they set while in chiropractic school. In other words, you may dream about owning a thriving, million dollar practice “someday.” But the burden of student loans, mortgages and everyday living expenses may cause you to doubt your ability to reach that dream, at least anytime soon.

On the other side of the debate, the enormous benefits of acquiring an established, high-grossing, high-profit chiropractic practice will certainly outweigh the financial risks, if the buying opportunity is good, and the value of the practice is accurate. Other factors, such as attractively low-interest rates or extremely favorable seller terms are additional considerations.

The Million Dollar Chiropractic Practice Dream

Let me give you an example of the foresight you need to make this happen successfully:

Several years ago, a young associate who graduated from chiropractic school several years prior, began to pursue his dream of owning a million-dollar practice. He left chiropractic school with $157,000 in education debt. He worked for several years as an associate doctor producing $35,000 a month, which gave him confidence in his clinical abilities, some basic business skills and a good income history. He found a practice that was perfect for his needs which grossed one million dollars annually and was for sale at $600,000.

Despite the fact that he did not own a home, and his wife was expecting their first child, the young associate purchased the practice by borrowing the money from a lending institution. As part of the sale, the former owner remained in the practice for a period of time to help the young doctor transition.

Today, the practice is thriving. His investment in the practice, and in his future, is paying off. The young doctor went from making an associate salary in the low 5 figures to a healthy 6-figure income — and this enabled him to not only pay his practice loan, but also his student loans. Not only did his income increase, he probably shaved 10 years off the learning and income curve to do it in less time.

Can you see the big picture?

Ultimately, being a successful entrepreneur means seeing the ‘big picture” – which includes where you are and where you want to be. Considering only today’s circumstances puts you at a disadvantage when planning for the future. In that respect, Viewing the purchase of a high-grossing chiropractic practice as a financial burden instead of a golden opportunity is a common misperception in building professional wealth. While it is true that assuming a large amount of debt seems imprudent when one already has substantial outstanding obligations, when it comes to investing in your professional future, this shortsighted thinking may not necessarily apply.

If you can maintain the levels of service which exist in a thriving practice, the purchase of a high grossing practice is essentially ensuring a larger income stream for you now and in the future. Of course, increased income from a busy and established practice will greatly enhance your ability to generate and accumulate wealth.

Entrepreneur (or Buyer) Beware!

To be fair, we must also mention the other obvious option when considering a practice purchase: starting a practice from scratch. However, entrepreneur beware! Even though the initial investment for a startup may appear to cost less than buying a high producing practice, the fact is that you will lose out on the instant cash flow that purchasing an existing practice offers; as a consequence, you will need to acquire additional start-up capital to make up for that fact. In addition, you must also consider what happens to the marketplace in each purchase. When you buy an existing practice, with it you are purchasing the existing patient base and you are essentially replacing the “space” in the market that the former owner-occupied with yourself. When you start from scratch, there is no patient base yet and you are adding another competitor to the marketplace – which happens to be you.

Finally, before deciding on a “start-up” option instead of purchasing a high grossing existing practice, one must consider the cumulative potential for wealth. To illustrate this point, assume that you purchase a $500,000 practice, which realizes annual profits of 40 percent—or $200,000 a year, before debt service. Over a 20-year period, without ever considering any increases in income, the accumulated income would translate into $4 million in earnings.

Let’s assume that you paid $300,000 for this investment and the payments were made over seven years at an interest rate of 7%. That would translate into monthly payments of $4,528 over the course of the loan, with total principal and interest rates of $380,335. Does borrowing $300,000 for a practice that can produce at least $4 million in career earnings seem to be a worthwhile investment? The answer, of course, is “yes.”

Since many startup costs range from $150,000 t $200,000, the cost may initially seem more attractive, for a comparable payoff. However, if there are no patients, there is no income, and it will take a considerable number of years to approach the earning stream offered by an existing practice. In fact, it takes the average chiropractic practice approximately 5 years to become profitable at all (if they survive that long). And while the startup practice makes its gradual slope upward toward profitability, the purchased practice has been chugging along all the while quietly earning $200,000 a year. In the end, the startup may be just as profitable as the purchased practice, but it did not start out that way and therefore, you may end up with significantly less earnings for your initial investment.

GOOD News on the Horizon for Buyers

I’ve got even more good news for those who are looking to buy a chiropractic practice. Starting in 2018, the Small Business Administration (SBA) changed their lending requirements…in your favor! It is now possible to buy a chiropractic practice with a lower downpayment than ever before, which really tips the scales in favor of buying an established chiropractic practice vs starting one from scratch. This is yet another reason why it is a great time to buy a chiropractic practice!

Advice…Before You Leap

Before you leap into a startup or a purchase, here are a few quick suggestions:

Consider your financial position and the opportunities that you currently have.
Assess the risks of each entry point – and see how well you can tolerate the extremes.
Review your ultimate goals as a chiropractor and the timeframe in which you want to achieve them.
Do the math with respect to all the above so that you will reach a conclusion you can live happily with, now and in the future.